Improvement in middlings-purifiers



`2.Shee'r.s-S11ee2.` J. L. WILLFORD. MIDDLINGS PURIFIER.

No.v171,542. 1 Patented Dec. Z8, 1875.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH L. WILLFORD, OF MINNEAPOLIS,MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALFHIS RIGHT TO EPHRIAM RUSSELL, OF SAMEPLAGE.

IMPROV'EMENT IN MIDDLINGS-PURIFIERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 71.5112, datedDecemberv 28, 1875; application filed October 8, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, J osEPH L. WILLFORD, ofMinneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements inMidd1ings-Purif1crs,which improvements are fully lset forth thefollowing specification, reference Fig. 3, a front view of the hopperand series of inclined overlapping shelves 5' Fig. 4, a top -or planview of the machine, with the cover removed, showing the valves anddevices for operatingv them.

`My invention relates to improvements in devices for separating thedifferent elements of which our-middlings are composed; and theinvention consists in devices arranged over the shaker for regulatingthe air-currents through the different portions thereof; also, in thecombination and arrangement of devices for operating the shaker andinclined overlapping shelves, over which the material passes from thehopper to the head of the shaker; also, in the arrangement of devicesfor giving a transverse reciprocating motion to the bottom of thehopper; and, finally, in the combination, with transverse conveyers, ofan adjustable cut-off between them, all as hereinafter fully described.

A, in the drawings,is the receiving-hopper, provided with an adjustablestrip, a, for regulating the feed. B is the movable bottom of thehopper, and which receives a transverse reciprocating motion through themedium of the reciprocating shaker D, angular pivoted lever b, andconnecting-rod b', to which one end of the movable botttom is secured.

The above-described motion to the bottom B causes the material to seekits level in the hopper, whether there is much or little there in, andfeed it evenly under all circumstances.

C are a series of reciprocating inclined overlapping shelves, secured tothe shaker-frame between the bottom of the hopper and the head of theshaker, over which the middlings from the hopper pass, and while passingfrom one shelf to another are subjected toair-currents produced from orby the suction-fan F, which separate and carry off the light fuzzyparticles ofthe material which clogs the meshes ofthe bolt-cloth,thereby o bviating the use of devices for keeping the bolting-clothclear, for Whatever light material reachesY the shaker falls upon ablank section of board bottom, where the reciprocating motion of theshaker causes the lighter particles to come to the top ofthe material,and as they reach the boltingcloth are in a favorable position to bedrawn away by the ascending air-currents through the cloth. Just in rearof the series of overlapping shelves above described is a pivoted valve,g, for regulating the inlet of airbetween them, and which is operated bya lever, g', on the outside of the machine for adjusting the same.

D is the shaker, covered with bolting-cloth in the usual manner, and issuspended by swinging arms d, pivoted from arms d secured in slottedbrackets d2 on the frame of the machine, (see Fig. 5,) so that the armsd1 can be readily adjusted in the slots d3 of the brackets, and, whenadjusted, are held by the screwbolt and nut d4. The object of suspendingthe shaker as above described is, that when adjusting the hangers so asto throw the point of support to or from a perpendicular, for increasingor decreasing the flow or speed of the material over the cloth', theshaker does not need supporting by hand. The shaker is reciprocated bymeans of the eccentrics c on the fan-shaft c1 and pitman c2 connectingwith the rods c3, which connect the hangers with the front end of theshaker, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. i v

Former devices for the purpose of regulating the draft or passage of airto the exhaustfan have generally consisted of horizontal slides orobstructions, and usually divided the air into a few currents, which ofcourse causes greater draft at certain points through the cloth thanothers, and besides the heavier particles drawn away settle down on topof these slides or valves, which necessitate frequent removal by hand. f

' By my devices, as hereinafter described, the

air can be evenly distributed through all parts of the machine.

closing the valves.

`may be.

In the drawings, E and E show the position ofthe valves, which are madein two sections for giving a stronger draft through one end of theshaker than the other, if desired, sec tion E being open and section Eclosed. The blank e in section E allows the heavier particles which'have been drawn away to settle beneath the fan, and by accumulating theyopen the'valvef, and pass olf with the waste from the shaker D, throughthe valve k on the rear of the machine.

Fig. et shows the manner of opening and h and h are two levers pivotedto the sidesof the machine at t', Fig. 1, for operating the valves ofthetwo sections E and E. When the valves are to be opened or closed it isonly necessary to draw out or push in the levers, which are held inposition by the wedges j, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The valves eareattached to the frame G by wire staples, and the frame is set at anangle .or inclined toward the tail of the shaker, so

that the air-currents in passing through sweep directly across thevalves, and thereby keep them clear. The blank e also permits a toostrong and directdraft over the tail of the shaker, and admits of thefan being placed low down or near the cloth. I are longitudinal openingsthrough the sides ot" the machine, just below the shaker, for the admisysion of air.

Usually there are two. or more grades of bolting-cloth on the shaker,the finest at the head thereof, and all that passes through it isfinished, and that which passes through the coarse cloth is calledreturns, and'is kept separate, to be reground and rebolted or purited.Sometimes only one grade of cloth is used with the esame generalresults; but the point on the cloth where the division should Vbe madevaries with the quality of the material, or iu grinding high or low, asthe case An adjustable device is therefore necessary' in order to divideat will the material passing through the shaker at any point thereon,and kept from mixing while falling `into the hoppers, which isaccomplished as follows: J J are gather-boards, which collect thematerial and deliver it to the two transverse conveyers L L. M is anadjustable cnt-` ol between them. Said cut-off is made in two parts, mm', sliding together and gibed, as shown in Fig. 5. The part m reachesup to the cloth on the shaker, and rests upon the sides ot' the machineformed by the openings I, and as it is swung to or from the centerit isself-adjusting in length, and can therefore be set at any desired pointto divide the middlin gs passing through `the boltiug-cloth.

Motion is communicated to the fan-shaft by a belt from pulley N to thepower-wheel, which in turn communicates motion to the conveyers `throughthe medium of band-pulleys O1 O1,

belt O2, and gear-wheels P P.

Further description of the operation of the v.machine is deemedunnecessary, it being obvious from the foregoing description.

I claim as m y invention- 1. The combination, with theshaker D andsnction-fan F, o' the valves e, in two sections,

`E E', operated as described, and arranged at an angle, or inclinedtoward the tail of the shaker, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

2. The combination, with the shaker D and inclined overlapping shelvesU, ot' the operating mechanism, consisting of the pivoted han gers d,rods d1, slotted brackets d2, rods c3, pitmen c, and eccentrics c1 011fanfshat't,all being arranged to operate in the manner substantially asshown and described.

3. The combination, with shaker D and over lapping shelves G, of thetransverse reciprocating bottom B ot' the hopper, operated through themedium of the shaker D, angular lever b, and connecting-rod b',substantially as described.

A4f. The combination, with the transverse conveyers L L and shaker D, ofthe adjustable cut-ott' M, formed in two parts, lm, m', sliding togetherin the manner substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I heve hereunto set my hand. i

JOSEPH L. WILLFORD.

Witnesses:

VERNON BELL, LEWIS Marsu.

